Bookcase number 135 in the Octagon Room houses the YAS collection of directories. Members looking for addresses of their ancestors frequently consult these volumes. It is a pity that other researchers do not more frequently use them, as they are full of interesting information. To explain my point let us look at one directory in particular.

Post Office Directory of the West Riding of Yorkshire with the City of York: 1861, printed by Kelly & Co.
The first 9 pages contain the index to places mentioned. The next 2 pages list the “principal seats in the West Riding” so one can easily find the residences of the elite of the County! The next 3 pages list commercial premises and the 3 after that the firms that have advertised within the directory, just like a Thompson Directory does today. The last page in this part is a map of the area covered.

The form of entry for each village is the same no matter how large or small. Though sometimes a small village will be included with a larger one.
1. Description of site - (can be quite poetic – a village on a lofty eminence)
2. How its made up – (if it contains other villages)
3. Its place in the larger picture of the area- (is it part of a larger parish)
4. Distances to nearest towns
5. Places of worship – (all denominations, when built etc).
6. The principal work for the area
7. The population and size – (usually for at least 2 years)
8. The principal gentry of the area
9. The Charities in the area.
10. Schools

Then follows a list of people under private addresses. These are usually the gentry and professional people of the area. Then there is another list of people under commercial addresses. Unfortunately, not everyone is listed. The great mass of ordinary people are not included in these lists.

The entries for the towns are slightly different. Sections 1 –10 are the same but other sections are added before and after the addresses.
11. A history of the town
12. Buildings or statues of interest – (these can be private, commercial, public etc)
13. Newspapers
14. Dates of fairs etc
15. A street index – (alphabetical list of streets)
16. A street directory – (alphabetical list of streets with houses and residents included)
17. A Court directory – (alphabetical with addresses)
18. A commercial directory – (alphabetical with occupations and addresses)
19. Sites of post offices and letterboxes plus collection times.
20. Members of Parliament
21. Members of the Corporation
22. Official directory. – (includes JPs, public establishments, public officers, cemeteries, societies, building societies, railway stations, coaches and omnibuses, carting agents, carriers)

So, if you wanted to know about the Huddersfield Infirmary in 1861 you would turn to the pages on Huddersfield (pp 350-397). You would then look for the official directory section (pp 394-397). The next section you need is that named Public Establishments (p 395). Under this you would find the entry for Huddersfield Infirmary.

Huddersfield & Upper Agbrigg Infirmary, New North Road: J.R. Walker, MD consulting physician; W. Turnbull MD & W. Scott MD physicians; G. Robinson, consulting surgeon; J. T. Bradshaw, W. Greenwood, W. Robinson, T. R. Tatham & W. J. Clarke, surgeons; W. Oxley, house surgeon; J. C. Laycock, Hon. Sec.; J. Moody, treasurer; Miss Kaye, matron & W. Hornblower, collector.

The YAS collection of directories spans two centuries. They cover the West Riding, the East Riding and the North Riding of Yorkshire, though not comprehensively. There are also directories for other counties and for cities outside the Yorkshire area. They are a valuable source for social and economic history. So, why not have a browse through them when you are next at Claremont?

Janet C. Senior, Assistant Librarian